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Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell looked like the fastest man in football last year. The rookie speedster regularly embarrassed NFL defenses, going around bends, turning corners, and bursting through holes with blinding speed. Mitchell was simply electric.
His freshman season came to a screeching halt when he tore his ACL on a routine run. Mitchell had broken a tackle and was stumbling to maintain his balance when one of his legs buckled backward, tearing the ligament in his knee. Mitchell's season ended on that night.
While the injury looked awful, it was reportedly just an ACL tear, and Mitchell underwent surgery and has been working toward a return ever since. Will Mitchell play again in 2024? What are the latest updates? Let's dive in.
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Keaton Mitchell Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Mitchell will likely play at some point in 2024. He's progressing as expected from his ACL tear, and that's a good sign. Fantasy managers can expect him to return sometime in November, according to reports.
Ravens not practicing on Day 1 of training camp:
QB Lamar Jackson (ill)
RB Keaton Mitchell (knee)
OLB Adisa Isaac (hamstring)
CB T.J. Tampa (hernia)Mitchell could return sometime in November
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) July 21, 2024
There haven't been many official updates about Mitchell's return, but that's probably due to the consistency of return windows for clean ACL tears. 10-11 months after this type of injury is the typical return window for NFL players, with longer absences generally being due to complications.
When Mitchell returns, he likely won't be playing at full strength, though. Managers will have to wait until 2025 to see his final form back in action.
Keaton Mitchell Fantasy Football Outlook
Mitchell is just different. He's one of the few players who looks like he's playing a different game of football than everyone else. His blend of acceleration and top speed is simply unrivaled among offensive players. Mitchell can turn the tiniest gaps into huge gains and outrun even defenders with a head start on him.
KEATON MITCHELL 40 YARD TOUCHDOWN
THIS KID IS SPECIALpic.twitter.com/irEgcTumGr
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) November 12, 2023
Mitchell has all the tools to thrive in Ravens OC Todd Monken's offense. Monken already found creative ways to get him in space in 2023. Mitchell wasn't just good for his breakaway speed but was one of the most elusive running backs in the NFL last season. He also led the entire NFL in yards per carry (min. 45 carries).
Keaton Mitchell's first NFL touch was nearly a house call. Love the creative wrinkle here from Todd Monken. Mitchell makes an unblocked defender miss and hits this fast. 💨 pic.twitter.com/VhbBHfodc4
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) October 24, 2023
Mitchell should step back into a complementary role with lead RB Derrick Henry. While Henry will most likely out-touch Mitchell in most games, if the Ravens fall behind and Mitchell is healthy enough, Mitchell should get enough work to be fantasy-relevant. The "if healthy" part is significant, though.
The big problem is that Mitchell tore his ACL so late in 2023. He picked up the injury on December 17. He most likely won't be close to 100% at any point in 2024. He's worth a speculative start if he plays, but it's very risky the first few games and will likely be heavily game-script-dependent.
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